Paying attention to our mission

Sometimes I can get lost and caught up in the day to day operations of parish life; the physical plant, the various ministries, hospital and nursing home visits, weekend/weekday Masses, funerals, baptisms, weddings (the few that we have), phone calls, e-mails etc. Getting caught up in the day to day happenings can prevent me from paying attention to our mission as a parish “Becoming and Making Disciples, Welcoming All to Follow Jesus Christ.”

I challenge each of our ministries to make sure that anything they are planning is filtered through our mission as a parish by asking, “How does this event, activity, program help us to become and make Disciples of Jesus Christ?” If it doesn’t, why are we wasting our time? We need to stay focused.

At the same time, I am conscious that we have many registered parishioners who are inactive. Throughout our lives, we may encounter friends, relatives, neighbors, and work associates who have drifted away from their faith community; people who no longer attend worship or participate in church activities. Reaching out to those who are no longer active weighs heavy on my heart. I know this is of concern for many who talk to me about family members whom you have raised in the faith who no longer are active in our faith community.

Central to our faith as Catholics is “communion” common-union with each other from which we get the word “Community.” Community support is central to who we are as a community of faith. We are called to support each other in and on the journey we make through life.

Our Mission and Outreach Ministry, overseen by Bill York and Ernie Chaplin has been grappling with the “How” of reaching out to the inactive. We realize that it is not the task of just a ministry team, but the task of our whole community to be welcoming and interested in the stories of those who feel alienated. We are currently looking at resources that will assist our community in reaching out and are open to suggestions from you. I am realizing that getting lost and caught up in the day to day is ministering to the “ninety-nine” and Jesus makes it clear that we are to seek out the lost. Hopefully in the near future we will have wisdom to share with the whole community and work together on seeking the lost.